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Friday, November 02, 2007

De menezes murder - accident or design?

Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead on a London underground train.

Was this an accident,

or,

did elements of the security services want to have an innocent man killed on the train as part of 'strategy of tension'?

In the recent trial of the Metropolitan Police, the court heard how a "catastrophic" series of key failures in police procedure led to Mr de Menezes, 27, being shot seven times by armed police officers at Stockwell Underground station:

2. The police failed to have a firearms team at the block of flats when Mr de Menezes emerged from the communal doorway.

3. The police failed to identify a "safe and appropriate" area where those leaving the Scotia Road premises could be stopped and questioned.

4. The police failed to deploy firearms officers at relevant locations in time to stop Mr de Menezes getting on to the bus and into the Tube station.

5. There was a failure to take effective steps to stop Tube trains or buses or take other "travel management steps" to minimise the risk to the travelling public.

6. De Menezes was allowed twice to get on to a bus and to go into the Tube station.

7. Reportedly, there was a failure to give accurate information to Commander Dick about where specialist SO19 officers were when she was deciding whether they or Special Branch (SO12) officers should stop de menezes.

8. There was a failure to minimise the risk in arresting Mr de Menezes by armed officers "whether in relation to the location, timing or manner of his arrest".

Reportedly, among the surveillance team in Scotia Road was a soldier from a new "special forces" regiment -the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR).

"According to security sources, SRR personnel were involved in the tailing operation that saw de Menezes leave the block of flats, board a bus, and then enter the tube station at Stockwell. SRR personnel are also believed to have been on the tube train when he was shot.

"The SRR soldier at Scotia Road (given the codename Tango 10) used equipment which sent realtime pictures of all who came and went from the flats. Those receiving the pictures could check them against footage of who they were looking for. One security source said: 'In this kind of operation you never leave. You need to pee: you use a bottle; if there’s no bottle, tough. You never leave.'

"The police account says there is no footage of de Menezes leaving because the SRR soldier had to relieve himself. The police account says he sent out a message calling the man who left [de Menezes] an 'ICI' – a white northern European..."

According to The telegraph, while de Menezes was being followed by surveillance officers, Commander Cressida Dick was aware that de Menezes was NOT a terrorist. (London Telegraph)

Surveillance officers had been following the bus on which de Menezes was travelling. These officers were preparing to stop the bus and apprehend de Menezes in order to interview him. Then Commander Dick gave the order that the surveillance officers were to stand down and not intervene.

De Menezes was allowed to enter the London Underground and board a crowded tube train. At this point, a shadowy government force shot and killed de Menezes.The police then claimed to have shot a dangerous terrorist and they began to tell what looked like a series of lies.